Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 23 – And His Aquatomic Tracker

It was one of a group of extra-powerful lamps manufactured by an Italian firm on special order for Petrov Vaxilis.”

“Petrov Vaxilis!” Tom was startled. “He’s that mysterious millionaire who lives over on the French Riviera, isn’t he?”

“That’s right. Reportedly, he has built up a huge fortune in shipping, oil, armaments, and a

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dozen other businesses, but no one knows much about him. He lives in a huge villa in Monaco and dodges all publicity.”

Tom whistled-then frowned. “That’s interesting, Harlan. But it doesn’t explain what was happening on that undersea mesa. And on such slim evidence, we sure can’t accuse a big shot like Vaxilis of causing that electric shock attack.”

Ames agreed. “Even if you found the electric fishing vessel, the operators could claim they were just fishing and the whole thing was an accident. All the same, we’ll check up on Mr. Vaxilis.”

Tom put the matter out of his mind while he returned to the job of redesigning his aquatomic tracker. After lunch he visited Dan Feasler at the Shopton Hospital and was glad to find the millwright fully recovered. Tom drove back to his laboratory at Enterprises and by evening had the tracker ready for a new trial.

At dinner Tom mentioned to his parents how the lamp found on the guyot had been traced to Petrov Vaxilis.

“Vaxilis has always conducted his affairs in great secrecy,” Mr. Swift said.

“We’re not the only ones who’d like to know more about him.”

“He certainly sounds like an unusual person,” Mrs. Swift put in. “I read a magazine article about him recently-“The Riviera’s Man of Mystery.’ Would you like me to look it up, Tom?”